


Another Year

by charcoalmink



Category: Motorcity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-24
Updated: 2012-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 15:37:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/467909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charcoalmink/pseuds/charcoalmink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things change for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Year

The engine purrs beneath his palms, content and _alive_. Mike grins and huffs out a laugh, a jumble of relief and pride and joy bubbling up within his chest. He rubs his palms up the smooth finish, petting her, soothing her. She lurches, as if pushing up into his touch and he feels a surge of affection.

A heavy palm claps down onto his shoulder, warm and familiar. Mike turns, blinking up past his fringe and feeling the sticky-slick slide of sweat trickle down his neck.

“She looks great. You really worked hard, Chilton.”

“Thank you, sir.” Mike reaches in through the open window, pulling the key from the ignition. He stops to run his fingertips along the door frame, tracing the pale blue and white lines. After a moment, he hands the key back.

There’s silence, and Mike stands at attention. Another breath and,

“You know what? She’s yours. You deserve it.”

Mike gapes open-mouthed and just barely catches the glint of silver that’s tossed back to him. “Take good care of her. She’s your responsibility now. And remember the rules.”

Mike sways on his feet, dazed and jittery. He’s vibrating with the force of his excitement, the battery in his own chest rattling and screaming. His face hurts from grinning and he smears grease over his forehead as he pushes back his fringe to wipe at the sweat dotting his face.

“I-- thank you-- _Thank you_ , sir,” he gushes, hardly able to keep from diving headfirst into the driver’s seat.

Kane pauses just outside the garage, flashing a smile over his shoulder, all teeth. “Happy birthday, Chilton.”

\---

“Slow down, I’m sure Dutch wouldn’t mind waiting for OH MY GOD WATCH OUT--” Chuck lets out a bloodcurdling scream, one hand flying to the roof, the other to his eyes.

Mike barks out a breathless laugh as both boys remain suspended in the air, flying over a canyon of nothing but free fall. Chuck sobs in between gasping breaths, screaming again when they go crashing down on the other side. Mike tugs on the gear shift and the tires scream as they go spinning towards a mountain of scrap metal. There’s smoke billowing around them and the smell of burning rubber makes the back of Mike’s throat itch. He grins like a man with nothing to lose and stomps down on the accelerator, watching the needle jump past 120.

“OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD,” Chuck chants, louder than Mutt’s engine, louder than Mike’s whooping yells.

This is how he spends his first birthday in Motorcity.


End file.
